SENCo

Do you have experience supporting students with SEN? Harris Academy Merton is seeking to appoint an exceptional, experienced qualified teacher as SENCO.

About Us

At Harris Academy Merton we promote the ethos ‘'Achievement is Success'' and believe every student has the right to the highest standard of education so that they can accomplish their aspirations. Our aim is to give every student an educational experience that is enjoyable and holistic so that they develop into responsible, articulate and successful young people.

We combine the traditional values of strong discipline, good manners, respect and pride in appearance with contemporary best practice in teaching and technology. With these core values embedded, we develop our students into confident and capable individuals that have a desire to excel academically and personally now and in the future.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Job Purpose

• To ensure that Academy practice is compliant with the SEND Code of Practice (2014) and other relevant statutory requirements.
• To work with the Academy Leadership team ensuring an ethos of Inclusion within the Academy and a culture of high aspirations for students with SEND.
• To work with the Academy Leadership team ensuring the implementation of the Academy SEND Policy.
• To ensure that the provision of SEND support is in accordance with the aims of the Academy and the curricular policies determined by the Governing Body and Principal of the Academy.
• To be responsible for maintaining the Academy's SEND Profile, ensuring that it is always up-to-date and is an accurate picture of student SEND need across the Academy.
• To be responsible for the accurate identification of SEND need across the Academy, ensuring a rigorous and thorough assessment process.
• To be a role model with regard to Quality First Teaching and differentiation within your own teaching practice.
• To be responsible for the embedding of Quality First Teaching across the Academy.
• To be responsible for the Academy SEND Offer, ensuring high quality targeted interventions enabling students with SEND to make better progress.
• In consultation with the Academy Leadership Team, to provide a programme of professional development with regard to SEND, that ensures all staff have the knowledge, skills and understanding to plan teaching and learning effectively and enable students with SEND to make expected progress.
• To be responsible for tracking the progress of students with SEND, using a wide range of Academy data relating to progress, attainment, referrals, exclusions, detentions and attendance to identify barriers to learning.
• To deploy staff and resources according to the needs of SEND students.
• To write a termly report to the Governing body on progress and developments.

Operational/Strategic Planning

• To work with Heads of Department, Coordinators and Faculty Directors to ensure that Quality First Teaching Strategies are embedded in teaching and learning across the Academy.
• To work with Heads of Department, Coordinators and Faculty Directors to ensure that strategies on Student SEN Profiles are being used as part of the lesson planning process and are integral to teaching and learning across the Academy.
• To work with Heads of Department, Coordinators and Faculty Directors to monitor, evaluate and review the quality of teaching and learning across the Academy, with regard to SEND students
• To work with teachers, Heads of Department, Coordinators and Faculty Directors to ensure that Quality First Teaching is embedded in teaching and learning.
• To work with Faculty Directors to monitor the academic progress of students with SEND within the Academy, ensuring expected progress and the provision of targeted interventions as appropriate.
• To work with Heads of Department, Coordinators and Faculty Directors to ensure efficient and effective use of Teaching Assistant support.
• To ensure that the SEND Development plan has clear aims and objectives, enabling progression within all areas of SEND Policy and provision. To be responsible for ensuring that the Assess, Plan, Do, Review Model is integral to monitoring evaluation and review of SEND provision and that it forms an essential part of whole Academy monitoring, evaluation and review (MER). This includes half-termly progress reviews, observations.

Qualifications & Experience

Qualifications

• University graduate (Good Honours degree)
• Postgraduate teaching qualification
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development relevant to the SENCO role or willingness to undertake this training.

Knowledge and Understanding of the Curriculum

• Knowledge and understanding of national priorities, current curriculum development and an ability to design and implement an innovate curriculum based on students' needs
• A thorough understanding of quality assurance techniques
• An appreciation of student motivation
• An understanding of how professional development contributes to the raising of quality

Experience

• SEN experience in a secondary school
• Evidence of successful teaching experience
• Evidence of pastoral experience
• Experience of working with key stakeholders such as parents, governors, employers etc

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, electric car scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.